Boys and their toys.

I spent the weekend working my arse off preparing for my re-enactments. Around 7:00 last night, I had decided I was done for the weekend and sat down to watch some TV. This lasted just long enough for me to find something for me to work on while I sat there. I started to take apart my Kentucky pistol and clean in the lock. That was when my oldest boy, Boopie, came in and asked if I wanted him to gather up what wooden/period toys he was planning to bring with to Macktown next week. I assured him that was a good idea.

Twenty minutes later, he calls me in, points to a pile on the floor and says, “These are what I’m bringing with. There are others I’d like to bring but I know you wont let me bring too many.” He wasn’t wrong about that, but I wasn’t letting him bring this monstrous pile of wood with either. He had a wood musket, a wood/metal flintlock rifle, a double barrel shotgun, 3 wooden swords, a mace (The medieval melee weapon, not the seasoning. This wooden toy could double as the real thing with as heavy and sturdy as it is), a shield and a small wooden knife. I looked at this pile of toys in disbelief.

Turning to him, I asked how he was planning to play with all of these toys. He promptly advised me that he needed all of them “just in case”. Just in case? Just in case of what exactly? A re-enactment of the great child rebellion of 1756 and he was the quartermaster? I told him that he did not need anywhere near that many toy’s coming with. He then broke down what they where all for to justify the need. He had to have the different firearms so that he could get four shots off before the enemy got to him with out having to reload. The rifle for distance, the Musket for when they were closer and the double barrel shotgun for when they got within 30 feet. Okay, scarily enough that makes some sense… What about all of the melee weapons? He then advised that he has a sword and shield in Highland fashion for close up fighting; however, he has his two scimitars as back up weapons just in case his main weapon breaks or is lost. He goes on to explain that the mace is there just in case the Brits have shields of their own so he can smash them*. Okay. I can see the logic in it, it’s flawed but I can see it.

He never mentioned the knife. Okay, I’ll bite. So I ask, “What about the knife?” Dad, I need that to scalp the Brits. I misted up for a couple of seconds. My oldest wanted to scalp a Brit. I then explained to him that we are Scots, not natives. We wouldn’t do anything barbarous like scalping an enemy soldier. Nope, we would cut their heads off and mount them on pikes as warnings to others.

We compromised and I am letting him bring 1-2 long guns and 2-3 other weapons. However, he is not allowed to bring the pike. We then went over his choice of firearms. He decided to bring the Shotgun because it has two barrels. I then went over the difference in his firearms, the up and down sides to all of them. This then led to the question I’ve been waiting to hear for a couple of years now, “Dad, when am I going to get my own real gun for the events?” We sat down and went through the Dixie Gun Works catalog looking at the various rifles, muskets and pistols. I told him he had to mature some more yet, but he’ll probably get one in the next year or two. That answer seemed to satisfy him. He is turning 12 here in less then a month. Maybe I will have to see about getting him a cheap starter rifle/musket.

(*I play with him in the back yard using these toys. I’ve used his mace against him to batter his shield arm until he can’t lift the shield anymore. He picked up this technique and started using it with some limited success. Yes, I actually rough play with my kids. It scares the neighbors and builds character. We don’t actually hit each other. Just weapons, shields and any armor a person has.)